Sibanye-Stillwater job losses indicative of ANC’s failure to promote mining investment

27 September 2019

The Democratic Alliance (DA) notes with concern that more than 5000 miners will lose their jobs at Sibanye-Stillwater. This comes on the back of ongoing job losses in the mining sector, and is indicative of government's failure to promote and encourage mining investment.

This should come as no surprise, given the Minister of Mineral Resources and Energy's gaffe in front of 800 mining investors at a conference in Australia earlier this month, where he promoted a fictitious mineral called "hazenile", and the disastrous implementation of Mining Charter 3.

Minister Mantashe should immediately scrap the Mining Charter and open our mining sector to more competition,  innovation and investment. He must ensure that mines have sufficient electricity at an affordable price point, by easing the restrictions on independent power production, specifically for own use, and he must immediately review our mineral rights administration, to make it easier to apply for and obtain prospecting and exploration licences, and ensure transparency in the process.

If Minister Mantashe is prepared to be bold and break his unholy alliance with the unions, jobs can be saved and employment in the mining sector can grow. The Democratic Alliance will continue to seek job creating solutions to address the crisis in our mining sector and our economy.

Issued by Kevin Mileham, DA Shadow Minister of Mineral Resources, 27 September 2019